Año Viejo Burning 2026: Dates (Dec 31) and Fares

Name: Año Viejo Burning 2026
Start: 2026-12-31
End: 2026-12-31
Location: Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador

When is Año Viejo Burning 2026?

Año Viejo Burning 2026 runs on Thursday, December 31, 2026. It's held on the same dates every year.

2026Thursday, December 31, 2026Every year

2027Friday, December 31, 2027Every year

How the dates are set: The effigies are burned at midnight on December 31 every year.

See every event in December 2026

Año Viejo Burning schedule

Weeks before December 31: Families and friends craft life-size effigies from old clothes stuffed with newspaper or sawdust.
Midnight, December 31: People bring the effigies into the streets of their neighborhoods and light them at the same time.
Last minute of the year: Each person eats twelve grapes, one for each chime of the clock.

Sources: campus-adventures.com, npr.org

Getting to Año Viejo Burning

In Quito, the La Mariscal district closes streets for parties, and the El Panecillo viewpoint looks over the city's small fires and fireworks at midnight.
In Guayaquil, the Malecón 2000 boardwalk is a focal point for public celebrations and fireworks over the Guayas River.

Source: campus-adventures.com

Where to stay in Quito and Guayaquil

For the 2026 New Year, a four-day holiday weekend ran Thursday, January 1 through Sunday, January 4, and flights, hotels and tours for late December sold out months in advance.
Coastal towns like Montañita and Puerto López pair the tradition with beach parties, with effigies burning on the sand.

Source: campus-adventures.com

History of Año Viejo Burning

Some of the earliest recorded end-of-year burnings in Ecuador date to the 1600s and 1700s, when the Otavalo people held ritual burnings. After the Europeans arrived, those traditions mixed with end-of-year carnival burnings of European origin.

Source: npr.org

Año Viejo Burning: questions people ask

What is the Año Viejo tradition in Ecuador?

It is a New Year's Eve ritual where people burn an effigy of the old year at midnight. It stands for burning away what you do not want to carry into the new year.

When is the Año Viejo burning?

It happens at midnight on December 31.

What does the año viejo doll look like?

It is a life-size figure made of old clothes stuffed with newspaper or sawdust. Many wear masks of popular characters or poke fun at public figures.

Where is the best place to see the burning in Ecuador?

Quito and Guayaquil are the main city stages, and coastal towns like Montañita burn effigies on the beach. Traditional burnings are less common in the Galapagos.

What is the will read before the burning?

In some places, a humorous last will of the old year is read aloud before the effigy is lit.

Sources: npr.org, campus-adventures.com, elrecreospanish.com

About Año Viejo Burning

At midnight on December 31, Ecuadorian streets light up as families burn life-size effigies of the old year.

On New Year's Eve, families and neighborhoods in Ecuador build life-size effigies called años viejos from old clothes stuffed with paper or sawdust. Some mock public figures or cartoon characters. At midnight they are set alight to burn away the old year. Quito and Guayaquil are the big stages, and the late December travel period sells out early.

Know before you go

Flights, hotels and Galapagos trips for late December sell out months ahead.
If you see a family burning an año viejo, watch from a respectful distance.
Quito's airport (UIO) is outside the city, so allow about an hour by taxi to the historic center.

Planning the trip

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